Trapped child saved from collapsed mud hut

A seven-year-old boy lay trapped under hundreds of kilograms of rubble after a mud hut collapsed on top of him in the village of Boboyi on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Monday.

Picture: KZN EMS

The child was pulled from the debris by police search and rescue
technicians‚ firefighters and paramedics.

The boy was alone – according to initial reports – inside the home which consisted of two separate mud structures sharing a common wall.

In the wake of heavy rains in recent weeks‚ the structure was weakened and collapsed on Monday morning.

Rescuers arrived and mounted a rapid extrication‚ eventually finding the trapped child and pulling him to safety.

Provincial EMS spokesperson Robert McKenzie said that the boy was in a serious condition‚ was treated and stabilised at the scene before being taken by ambulance to a district hospital for further treatment.